Heroes
by HuluOriginal
Summary: 8 months into All Might's Aim to Pass: American Dream Plan, Izuku Midoriya fatefully meets the daughter of the number 2 pro hero. Her name, Shoko Todoroki. Unbeknownst to the two eerily similar yet starkly different teens, this would serve as a catalyst for their extraordinary future. (fem todoroki)
1. Chapter 1

Chapter I

Izuku Midoriya ran along the sidewalk in his turquoise tracksuit. He was a good 8 months into the Aim to Pass: All American Dream Plan. The boy's breaths were ragged as he maintained his fast pace. His legs craved for any form of rest, and it felt like he would collapse under his own weight every time his foot impacted the ground. However he kept pushing, no way was he going to let All Might down. His idol said it himself, he was going to be a hero. To do that he would work harder than everyone else so he could catch up, no matter what.

After an excruciating five minutes, Izuku finally arrived at the bench he usually rested for the return trip. Today though, he spotted a girl wearing a white hoodie sitting on the bench whilst glaring at the concrete below. Too tired to be nervous, Izuku collapsed in the same bench a few feet away from the girl.

After he caught his breath, Izuku nervously snuck a peek at the stranger who was now staring off into the setting sun. Only then did he realize how unique she looked. The girl had dual colored hair that went down to her upper back. Snow white threads of hair on the right side of the head and scarlet red on the left. Furthermore, a nasty looking burn scar seemed to be glazed over her left eye.

"Excuse me, do you need something", The girl asked with a blank expression. However Izuku saw the subtle, yet unnerving glare she was sending his way. Izuku gulped, guess she doesn't like it when people stare.

Only then did he notice that the girl also had heterochromia, or dual colored eyes. Her right eye being gray and left being a vibrant turquoise not unlike the color of the tracksuit he was wearing.

"O-oh s-sorry, I wasn't t-trying to. I'm sorry i-if I offended you", Izuku stuttered, waving his hands in front of him thoroughly embarrassed.

It was a well known fact that Izuku Midoriya was not a social butterfly. He was unable to talk to nobody his age due to his quirk-less nature. His primary sources of conversation was very limited, primarily to adults.

The girl let out a sigh. "It's fine, it is not the first time people have stared, and it won't be the last", the girl muttered, looking darkly at the ground. However she quickly changed topics while putting on her previous blank expression. "You're training right. I would assume to be a hero?"

Izuku looked surprised. "H-how'd you know?"

"As I said, it was an assumption". The girl stated. "I myself was training for the U.A curriculum until I decided to rest here. Though I have to admit, I think it's exceptional that you are also putting in the time and hard work to become a hero".

She sighed with an annoyed look. "You wouldn't believe how many people try to become a hero thinking their 'awesome' quirk is all they need to pass".

The green haired teen blushed at the sudden praise. "W-wait, you're going to U.A also?" Izuku asked in surprise. "Does that mean you're also taking the entrance exam that's in two months?"

"Actually, I'm entering the hero course through a special recommendation. So I don't have to participate in the entrance exam," the girl replied cooly.

"You were recommended into U.A?!" Izuku yelled in surprise, suddenly standing. "That's amazing, you must be awesome!". A moment later, the green haired boy blushed as he saw the slightly bewildered look on the girl's face and sat back down. "S-sorry , I got a little c-carried away there".

The girl however let the barest hint of a smile touch her face at the boy's awkward yet simple compliment. "By no means do I think I'm 'awesome', but thank you for the compliment. That's the first time someone's ever called me that".

The setting sun's orange rays set below the two teen's faces, drawing their attention to the coming dusk. "I-it's getting dark, I should probably head home before my mom gets worried", Izuku said, standing back up.

"I should probably also return to my house", the girl muttered as she also stood up. "Excuse though, I never caught your name".

"O-oh it's Izuku, Izuku Midoriya", the boy said nervously. "What's yours?"

"My name is Shoko Todoroki", the now named Shoko answered. Her almost unnoticeable smile grew into a slightly bigger and unmistakably grateful one. "I had a good time talking Midoriya-san, but I should probably leave now. I hope to see you later."

"Yeah, see you..uh Todoroki-san", Izuku replied.

With that, Shoko turned around and broke into a steadily paced jog, presumably towards her house.

Izuku on the other hand stuck around for a few seconds. He stood there with a dumb look on his face processing what had just happened. Had he really just talked to a girl, like ACTUALLY talked to a girl? He didn't even run away or do anything TOO weird. Even if the conversation only lasted maybe ten minutes, Izuku was unbelievably happy. The only people that really talked to him as his mom. All Might, maybe a few neighbors, and Kacchan but he was a...special case. Finally turning back to the way he came, Izuku ran back home, a little faster than usual.

* * *

"One more serving please", Izuku asked with a smile as he held out his now empty bowl to his mom, Inko Midoriya. The once slim women had gained a considerable amount of weight as she got older. Through raising Izuku alone and working to support them, there just wasn't the time or energy for Inko to care about her weight.

"You're in a good mood today Izuku-chan", Inko commented as she scooped another serving into her little boy's bowl.

"I was out running and I met someone. I found out they were also going to U.A", Izuku replied between bites.

"And what was his name Izu-chan" Inko asked excitedly while washing her plate. She was happy Izuku found a friend his age. Sometimes she couldn't help but worry about her dear son. Her boy was unbelievably kind which she would never berate him for, however she knew first hand that people would take advantage of that kindness without a second thought if he wasn't careful. She just hoped highschool would open him up to more opportunities to make the friends he could cherish.

"A-actually mom...she was a g-girl, her name was uh.. S-shoko Todoroki", Izuku nervously said. He didn't know why, but telling his mom that his friend was a girl gave him butterflies in his stomach. Could he even call her a friend? They only talked for like 10 minutes. Like, he barely even knew her!

Inko nearly dropped the plate she was drying with a dish towel. Slowly turning around, Inko promptly squealed as if she were a highschool girl again. "My dear Izuku is growing up so fast. Already talking with girls!". Let it be known that while she did become more mature as she grew older, Inko still liked to have her fun, especially when it came to her son.

"MOM!" Izuku shouted in embarrassment. "I-t's not like that. W-we just talked about U.A and stuff. Stop being weird!" Izuku protested.

"Ok, ok, honey, i'm just teasing", Inko chuckled. "Now give me your empty bowl. Also finish your chocolate milk so I can wash the cup".

Izuku handed his mom the now empty bowl and huffed. Why did his mom have to embarrass him so much. It's just a girl right? It's not like the fact that Todoroki-san is a girl is special or anything.

"Was she at least cute?"

Izuku almost choked on the chocolate milk as his face turned a bright red. "I-im gonna go to my room and study!". He raced to his room and shut the door quickly. He could still hear his mom's laughter coming from the kitchen.

Putting his hand over his chest, he took a few deep breaths to calm down from his embarrassment. After the flustered teen managed to get a hold of his emotions, he stayed true to his word and cracked open a textbook to study. A few months into his workout regime, he decided that while reviewing the textbook's content, Izuku could absentmindedly do curls on each arm with a 40 pound dumbbell.

Technically, this was outside of the 'Aim to Pass! All American Dream Plan' that All Might had assigned the young man. He even discouraged any extra physical activity. However, Izuku's drive to work harder than everybody else won out. He wasn't even experiencing any negative effects to his body from the extra work yet. Altough he could barely get out of bed in the morning due to his aching muscles, he saw it as being one step closer to his once seemingly impossible dream. His dream of one day being like All Might, the strongest hero, and saving people with a smile just as big as his.

His ideals and aspirations have been what pushed Izuku Midoriya to be able to fulfill All Might's American Dream plan without fail so far. No longer would he stare at the heroes backs from afar. Now he was training to become what he could only silently aspire to be. Like All Might said, he could, no he would become a hero!

He promptly slapped himself across the face for letting his mind wander. Of Course he was going to be hero, he couldn't let All Might down like that. Right now, however, he needed to study in order to keep his grades up.

Even though regular academics like math and history aren't prioritized at a hero school like U.A, it's still important that he doesn't fall behind in his studies, he needed every advantage he could get into a school filled with super-powered people.

The usually monotonous task of doing homework were easier for Izuku, as shown by his exceptional grades. After he started following All Mights fitness schedule, he soon figured that he could knock out two birds with one stone by doing physical exercises while working on schoolwork. Whether it be reading from a textbook while doing squats amd calf raises, or writing a paper while holding a planking position, Izuku managed to study for hours on end.

"And... done", Izuku said to himself with a sigh. He hadn't noticed while he was reading but now it hit him full force. His arms felt like lead and he barely had the strength to put the dumbbell back in the corner of his room.

Izuku turned off the lights and climbed into his bed, pulling up the sheets. Tomorrow was going to be hellish. Aside from the insane soreness he would have to deal with, All Might said they would spend the whole day at the beach clearing the junk off the shore.

"Damnit", Izuku muttered from under the sheets of his bed. He still needed to brush his teeth.

* * *

"J-just a little further", Izuku ground out. His facial expression was twisted in all manners and would have looked hilarious without context. All of his already sore muscles were working overtime and groaned in agony.

"Yes, that's it! Put your back into it young man" All might encouraged. The number one hero was clad in his trademark baggy pants and t-shirt. He had to wear clothes that looked comically oversized because they had to be big enough for when he went into muscle form. Any smaller and his clothes would tear off. No way was All Might going to smash villains as 'the symbol of peace' butt naked.

"Just a little further young Midoriya, push past your limits! You want to become a hero don't you?" All Might shouted. The pro hero's encouragement was interupted however when he noticed a vibrating in one of his pockets.

The teen let out an emotional cry of raw fervor as he carried the busted up refrigerator down the last few steps. His arms were on fire while his legs were going to collapse any second, but as per usual, Izuku didn't give up. He let the refrigerator collapse on the boardwalk with the other junk he moved, and promptly collapsed to his knees, skinning them in the process. However, couldn't care about the minor burning sensation it gave him and opted to just pant in exhaustion.

All Might ran up to Izuku's crumpled form and pat him on the back, almost toppling the boy in the process. "Exceptional, Remarkable, Absolutely phenomenal work!" the number one hero praised. "You've come far. Much further than I actually initially predicted, you really should be proud of your hard work young man".

"However...I COMPLETELY FORGOT ABOUT THE MEETING WITH THE OTHER PRO HEROES" All Might wailed. "I'm sorry young Midoriya but you can have the rest of the day off, consider it a reward for managing to surpass my expectations".

All Might quickly mounted his segway and took off into the city full speed. A few months into the training, Izuku and his idol had a conversation about conserving All Might's time limit during a water break. Much to All Might's chagrin, Izuku recommended using some sort of vehicle more often to go places instead of flying around the city in his muscle form. Though for some odd reason, the number one hero chose a segway for his vehicle of choice.

With All Might gone, Izuku collapsed onto his back and closed his eyes. He focused on the sound of lapping waves on the shore as he gave his muscles a much needed rest. He couldn't help but feel a little giddy at All Might's praise. To think just eight months ago, he thought it would be a once in a lifetime chance just to make eye contact with the number one hero.

He thought about his progress in the recent months. He used to be a kid with big dreams and admittedly he still was. Now though, he was finally taking the steps to fulfill those dreams. Now he could finally be a hero thanks to All Might.

However as he opened his eyes, he didn't see the blue sky he was expecting. Instead all he saw was a curtain of white and red hair alongside a familiar stoic face.

Shoko Todoroki was bent over staring at Izuku's prone form. "Are you ok Midoriya-san?"

"T-todoroki-san w-what are you doing h-here?" Izuku stuttered. How did she sneak up on him? Was he just that fatigued from the day's training?

"I heard some pretty loud screaming so I came to check it out", Shoko replied. The girl's eyes drifted down to Izuku's bare torso until they whipped back up. She had to admit, despite being pretty socially awkward, the guy did have a fair amount of muscle.

Noticing this, a wave of self consciousness overtook Izuku as he scrambled to his feet. Soon finding what he was looking for, he slipped on his white t-shirt and breathed a sigh of relief.

"S-sorry for uh.. Making you worry Todoroki-san", Izuku apologized. He even bowed to top off his apology.

"There's no need to act so formally, it's not like I'm an adult. In Fact, i'm pretty sure we're the same age", Shoko stated.

"R-right!" Izuku said in embarrassment. God why did he have to act so awkwardly in these situations. "So why a-are you here Todoroki-san".

Shoko gave Izuku a questioning gaze. "Um.. didn't I just tell you? You know… I heard you screaming and all that".

"Ah-yeah s-sorry I forgot", Izuku said bashfully and he scratched the back of his head. Holy crap, why would he say something so dumb, it's like his brain was shutting down. He wanted to die, seriously he wouldn't mind just crumbling to dust right here and now.

* * *

"Achoo".

"You're not getting sick are you Tomura?" A void like entity asked.

"Fuck off Kurogiri".

* * *

Despite herself, Shoko let on a small smile like the one she had the day before. Despite the incredible amount of contempt she was feeling for her shitty father at the moment, she couldn't help but forget just a little seeing the red faced Izuku Midoriya. She didn't want to admit it to herself, but there was something oddly endearing about the social awkwardness of the boy.

"That's fine, I see you were...training hard though". Shoko said changing the subject.

"Yeah, I'm trying to clear the whole beach of debris before the U.A entry exams", Izuku said, gaining back some confidence. He seemingly got even more tired just thinking about moving more things off the shore.

Shoko looked at the mountain of junk next to Izuku with wide eyes. "You mean you moved all this stuff from the beach? That's actually pretty..impressive."

Izuku blushed at the praise. "Ah-it's n-nothing". He had been praised by All Might before and it felt similar. However receiving praise from Todoroki-san had a slightly different feel to it and it felt great.

Suddenly there was a lull in the conversation and soon silence permeated. Izuku couldn't muster the confidence to break it and Shoko just couldn't think of anything. The two opted to just standing on boardwalk in more silence until,

"Um",

"Uh",

they said at the time. After the awkward exchange, both Izuku and Shoko zipped their mouths shut, opting to let the other talk. Though it never happened and soon, an even more oppressive silence took hold. Izuku, normally able to come up with strategies on the fly, could only awkwardly try to crack each knuckle while desperately trying to think of something and Shoko just stood stoically, fiddling with her hair slightly.

After what felt like hours for the two, Izuku finally managed to speak up with a depressed sigh. "I'm sorry Todoroki-san, sorry for b-being so you know...awkward".

Seeing that Izuku looked genuinely disappointed in himself, Shoko tried to cheer him up. "You know i-t's okay, it happens to the best of us. I mean I couldn't say anything either right?"

"I guess", Izuku said, still looking pretty beaten up about it. "I just haven't really had any friends that I can talk with so this is all kinda new to me."

Shoko put her hand on her arm and looked down at her shoelaces. She hesitated and bit her lip."You know Midoriya-san, i'm kinda in the same boat. Because of...reasons, I grew up with the absence of people I could truly be able to call a friend."

Izuku looked surprised at that. How was that possible? Todoroki-san was even recommended into U.A, she's gotta be crazy strong. Kacchan was crazy strong, and he had a ton of friends. Izuku got an idea and gained a rare surge confidence. "How about this Todoroki-san". He extended his arm out for a handshake. "I'll be your first friend, and you'll be mine. It's a win win right? How about it".

Shoko looked at the hand that was offered to her. Was she really allowed that? She should be focusing on proving to her shitty father that she was powerful enough to reject him and his worthless ideals. Her thoughts got darker as she remembered her scared past, and in turn, her scared face. Her dark thoughts were interrupted however, as she looked at the green haired boy's face. They were both introverted just as much as the other but in seemingly different ways. His offer was a genuine reach for something, something different, something new.

With a deep breath, Shoko met Izuku's hand and the two firmly shook. although it was just a mundane gesture, for the two caught in the moment it was a sort of contract that would bring the two into the absolute unknown. It felt very daunting but a little exciting.

The two teens were completely out of their depths, but right then and there, they reveled in it.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Both teens were sat down on a nearby wooden bench overlooking the shoreline. Their 'lost in the moment' mood was gone as they sat in relative silence once again. Izuku bit his lip as he desperately tried to think of something to talk about.

Shoko, on the other hand, fidgeted slightly as the silence persisted. She didn't feel like commenting on it and settled on staring at the small waves that enveloped the shore before receding. Boys were supposed to take the initiative anyways right? At Least that's what she'd heard.

To his chagrin, Izuku's social anxiety was working overtime. He contemplated on whether he should ask the dumb generic ice breaker questions like, "What's your favorite food?", or "You got any siblings?", but he just couldn't pull the courage in the end.

The two sat in horror as they realized the other wasn't going to take the initiative.

Izuku knew his social anxiety wasn't just going to disappear after befriending Todoroki-san but still, it was disappointing knowing he couldn't even ask his new friend a simple question without freezing up.

"I think I'm going to return home if that's okay Midoriya-san", Shoko said as she stood up. She brushed some dust off her skirt and turned to walk away.

"W-wait!"

Shoko turned around at the sudden outburst.

Izuku hesitated, "I'm s-sorry Todoroki-san". He lowered his eyes in shame, "I'm hopeless when it comes to this stuff. Even though I'm really bad at holding a conversation, y-you'll still be my friend right?"

Shoko felt a little sad at how genuinely upset Midoriya was at his social ineptitude. Not to mention, the boy looked like a kicked puppy. "You know, it's okay Midoriya-san, I'm really not great with these situations either…", she said as she unconsciously stroked her hair that was resting on her shoulder. "And don't worry, I also want to be your friend Midoriya-san… y-you are my first after all". The heterochromic girl added, faintly blushing at how weird that sounded.

Izuku however didn't notice her slightly red tinged cheeks as he sighed in relief. Admittedly, hearing that somebody else wanted him to be their friend made him feel warm on the inside.

"Well, it was nice seeing you again so soon Midoriya-san, but I really should return home. I can't fall behind on academics and my own training before the new school year starts," Shoko stated.

"Yeah, I'll see you later Todoroki-san", Izuku replied, giving a little wave and feeling a little happier.

Shoko returned the gesture before walking away and disappearing around a corner.

The green haired teen however, merely collapsed back on the bench and stared at the shore with a tired smile. He wasn't sure how much his brain could have handled, this was more social interaction than he had throughout pretty much all of junior high. Being quirkless sure didn't give him any points on the popularity poll.

Checking his watch, he noticed that it was going on three o'clock. All Might said he could have a day off. Maybe he did deserve the rest day after the extra work he'd secretly been doing. It was extremely tempting but repeating his dream in his head pumped him up again. He was going to become like All Might and save people with a fearless smile, so he had to work harder than everybody else, simple as that. Izuku clenched his fist in determination as he headed back towards the beach. There is no rest for the weary.

* * *

"Midoriya!"

"Y-yes sensei!?" Izuku stammered as he snapped to his feet. The class unanimously chuckled at the green haired boy. A boy one row ahead of Izuku with spiky blond hair sneered. His name was Bakugou Katsuki, or as Izuku liked to call, Kacchan.

"So Deku can't even pay attention in class huh?" Bakugou scoffed and sent a superior look over his shoulder. "That means you really aren't a nerd, you're just a worthless loser!". The class erupted into more chuckles making Bakugou smirk.

"Alright pipe down Bakugou", the teacher called, already used to Bakugou's 'antics'. "Now Midoriya can you tell me what method I'd use for this problem?"

Izuku looked at the board and sighed in relief when he realized it was just basic trigonometry. "Ahh...you w-would use arc cosine sensei", he stuttered. He looked around as he took his seat, the class obviously wasn't happy that he actually knew the answer as they were still hungry for something to laugh at. Now fully awake, Izuku stared intently at the teacher determined not to zone out again. Last night had been arduous because he completely forgot about the homework packet he'd been ignoring in favor of training and had to do it all after dinner.

As he felt more confident that he wasn't going to zone out, he returned to squeezing the hand grip under his desk and very silently tapping his feet. Izuku didn't really like school. Of Course he liked learning new things and whatnot, but his top priority was to train to his absolute limits and school seemed to just be a bit of a waste of 7 hours of the day. As a compromise, he bought a hand grip exerciser and started to quietly tap his feet during class. This would let him write down what the teacher was saying with whatever hand was free since he was ambidextrous (didn't have a dominant hand) while exercising his forearm and shin muscles.

Izuku was just glad the school year was ending soon. The upcoming March 25th and the start of spring break would mark the end of the third semester and he would finally be free. However he fully planned to spend those days of freedom to continue training for the U.A exams that would follow shortly after.

Suddenly, the bell rang interrupting the teacher mid sentence. "Stop packing up we're not finished writing the equation", the teacher commanded imperiously with a glare.

The class groaned while many kids had to fish through their bag to get their notebook back out. Some even shot the teacher some rude glares.

Izuku just frowned as he just wanted to get back home for training. He was meeting All Might at the beach after school, the man had even told him that today he was going to be given some special training. He quickly scribbled down the formula the teacher had written on the board and shoved his notebook into his bag. Now ready, the young boy then took off after getting a nod from the teacher gaining some envious looks from some students who were still flipping to the right page.

Izuku was hurrying home as he didn't like sticking around school after the last bell rang. Other than the extra time for studying and working out, he also wanted to avoid his old childhood friend. Katsuki Bakugo was a complicated topic. He remembered as a child, Kacchan was still kind of rude and arrogant, but he was still his friend. Now though, even though Izuku had reached out to be his friend, he could tell Katsuki didn't reciprocate his feelings. Nevertheless, Izuku Midoriya was determined to keep trying to be friends with him just like when they were younger.

Ever since the slime incident though, Katsuki hadn't been teasing or harassing Izuku near as much. Even though he still through a few verbal jabs here and there during class, he pretty much isolated Izuku. Izuku was actually happy with this result. It wasn't friendship, not even close, but this at least allowed him to focus on what really mattered.

As Izuku neared his house he checked his watch and saw he arrived ten minutes before he usually did. Who could blame him, whatever All Might had in store for him had to be awesome.

He rushed inside the Midoriya residence and quickly took off his shoes. "Mom I'm home!" Izuku called out while rushing up the stairs. Once inside, he hastily shrugged off his school uniform and put on his tracksuit. He left his room and went to the kitchen to get the water bottle he left in the fridge overnight. "Mom I'm gonna head out to the beach to train!

"Alright honey stay safe!" his mom's voice called out from the laundry room.

After shouting a quick, "I will!" and putting on his running shoes, Izuku headed outside and took off towards the beach in a jog. As he ran he wondered what All Might meant when he said special training. Was All Might passing on one for all the him? No...there's no way, it's too early. Maybe he was going to teach him how to be strong mentally instead of just physically or something. He was interrupted from his musing however when he noticed that he was nearing the beach.

Izuku slowed down to a walk to catch his breath as he looked around. All Might was nowhere to be seen until, **CRASH** , his mentor came plummeting from the sky landing on the nearby pavement creating a shockwave in the ground. The boy stumbled back in surprise at the grand entrance and looked up at All Might in his muscle form. "A-all Might?"

All Might chuckled and brushed some of the dust off that got thrown up from his landing. "How'd you like my entrance young Midoriya, though in my prime, that shockwave would have been ten times cooler looking."

"All might… that was really cool but, what are we gonna do about the mess?" Izuku asked frantically as he looked at the uprooted cement that was now scattered across the ground.

"Sometimes, teachers have to show off to their students you know. It's pretty much a universal rule in my book. He looked around at the cement that was not scattered across the empty parking lot and sweat-dropped. "T-this is a bit more of a mess than what I was expecting, maybe the cement was super old or something… ehh whatever I have a good friend that owes me a favor who can easily clean this mess up, I'm sure he'll be able to run down here at some point." All Might said as he finally let his muscle form dissipate.

"Anyways young Midoriya, to get to the point, you've been doing excellently thus far. Your progress on cleaning up the beach has actually surpassed my estimations, All Might praised as he patted Izuku's back. "I can see you're already warmed up young man, follow me to the shore".

All Might walked down to sand without explaining further and turned to see Izuku stumbling after him. "So far most of what you've done is endurance and strength training. However most villains won't be taken down with just brute force. Today young Midoriya, i'm going to teach you how to fight", All Might said, getting into a basic fighting stance. He wasn't going to use muscle form for this training. Even if his young student had packed on some muscle, he was still an adult and had battled countless villains.

"Now, young man...hit me".

It took a few moments of processing before Izuku obeyed and nervously raised his fists. "B-but All Might, you're still in your normal form and I don't want to h-hurt you", Izuku said. He didn't want to hit his teacher while he was in his weakened state, what if there was an emergency or something?

"Come now young Midoriya, you don't give me enough credit. Trust me, even in my normal form ,I'm stronger than I look", All Might replied.

Gulping, Izuku took a tentative step towards his mentor. All Might was right, he couldn't underestimate him. This was the number one pro hero he was going to fight. He took a few more steps closer realizing All Might wasn't going to make a move. What should he do? There's no way a straight attack would work. He had to test the waters first, he had no idea how strong All Might actually was in this form.

"Well young man? Wha-" However All Might was cut off as Izuku quickly advanced and threw a left jab. All Might moved his head back to evade the strike and saw a right haymaker flying towards his head. He quickly deflected it, sending the green haired boy off balance.

Izuku quickly backpedaled regaining his balance. All Might had dodged and deflected his punches. Maybe he wasn't strong enough to block attack? No he couldn't assume that, he needed more information.

"Don't over commit to strikes you can't guarantee Midoriya, next time I won't let you escape that easily."

"Yes sensei!" Izuku called out while once again advancing towards All Might. He feinted a right punch and watched as All Might raised his arms to block with the blow. Now with the midsection opened, Izuku lunged forwards for a tackle. If he could take All Might to the ground, he could tip the scales in his favor.

However All Might wrapped his arms around Izuku's back and thrust his legs behind him making Izuku buckle under the sudden weight on his back.

Izuku grunted as he was crushed into the sand under All Might. He tried to squirm out of his teacher's grip but to no avail. All Might then snaked his arms around Izuku's neck to form a choke hold.

The green haired teen sputtered and wheezed in panic as his oxygen was cut off due to All Might roughly pressing his forearm into his larynx (Adam's Apple). He desperately clawed at All Might's arms in an attempt to break free. It was only after another two seconds did All Might relent and release Izuku from the hold.

He was coughing while desperately trying to suck as much air back into his lungs as he stared at the sand on his hands and knees. The feeling of being choked out was...unpleasant to say the least. However, what disappointed Izuku the most was how fast he panicked once his air flow was cut off. If that was a real villain, he very well could have died right then and there.

"Going in for a tackle wasn't the worst idea in theory young Midoriya, however you didn't have a plan if I countered it, did you?" All Might glared like a school teacher would handing out a detention. "In the real world the consequences would be much more dire. Try to think three steps ahead young Midoriya, I know you have the brains for it."

"Also just for future reference, choke holds like the one I just used on you is a very efficient way to pacify a villain without having to knock them out the conventional way. Though you must be very careful for if applied incorrectly, you could seriously hurt someone", All Might added.

Izuku rubbed his neck and grimaced, he could definitely see why choking someone out would be an efficient way to incapacitate someone. Izuku shook his head to rid himself of the phantom pain of getting choked, he stood back up facing All Might with his fists clenched. "One more time please, All Might".

All Might laughed boisterously at the determination in Izuku's eyes. "Very well young Midoriya. Now come, I'm going to teach you how to correctly use that choke hold I just used."

* * *

The sun was setting below the horizon as Izuku Midoriya slowly walked home. He was so beaten that he couldn't find it within himself to jog home like he usually would. Who knew someone as frail as All Might did in his normal form could pack such a punch. Granted All Might was an adult, but still, Izuku had packed on some decent muscle since the start of his mentor's training regimen. Not to mention all the blood he spits out every once and awhile.

He was stirred from his thoughts however as he felt a vibration in his pocket. Taking out his phone he saw that his mom had texted him.

"Izuku dear, while you're out, could you pick up a new bottle of ketchup and some eggs at the supermarket? I'll pay you back :)", The text read. He sighed as he sent a quick "sure mom" through his phone.

He always kept his wallet and his phone on him when he left the house. Inko Midoriya sometimes took advantage of this and had her son run an errand or two while he was out.

"See Izuku, this is why I had a child", Inko often would say jokingly to her son.

It took Izuku about ten minutes to reach the supermarket. He located the baking aisle and picked out a carton of eggs. However he froze as he spotted spiky blonde hair that could only belong to one person. Standing behind him was Katsuki Bakugou, who was currently glaring at the price tag of a bag of flour.

Bakugou also froze as he noticed a certain loser staring at him. He scoffed, why'd the nerd have to be here. All he wanted to do was get the damn groceries in peace so his stupid mom could finally make dinner.

Izuku gulped, "h-hey Kaa-chan, how are y-you?"

"What's it to you nerd?" Bakugou spat.

"S-sorry for asking ahaha…" Izuku replied nervously as he slowly crept away with the eggs now in hand. There hadn't been any major incidents with Katsuki for a while now, he planned to keep it that way.

"Whatever, stupid loser", Bakugou insulted as he began to trudge away. "Now if only I could find the damn pizza sauce", he muttered to himself.

Overhearing the blond teen by a stroke of luck, Izuku called out. "Hey uhh... I saw the pizza sauce in aisle 4". He saw Katsuki change his course towards aisle 4 without acknowledging him. Izuku was content with that as he started to make his way towards where he knew the ketchup would be. All that mattered was that he managed to help out his childhood friend, even though he didn't receive thanks.

After paying the cashier about 940 yen, Izuku started his trek back home once again. He idly thought about the homework he was assigned for the weekend and wondered if he should do a little tonight to lessen the workload. In the end he decided against it, who did homework on a Friday? He'd just do it tomorrow.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

With labored breaths, Shoko pushed herself off the ground back onto her feet and once more slid into a fighting stance the man that stood opposite of her had drilled into her head. Enji Todoroki, Shoko's father who had taken away her childhood, her innocence, and her mother. Seeing her father slowly advance, she used her right hand to hurl ice in an attempt to slow her him even just a little.

Sighing, Endeavor exponentially raised the intensity of the fire that surrounded his body, melting the ice before it could even make contact with him. "You still won't use my flames will you", Endeavor chided with annoyance. "You would deny the gift that is ingrained in your blood for a mere grudge?"

"Shut up!" Shoko screamed, readying her ice once more. "It's your fire that tore away everything I loved". She then stomped the ground, making spikes of ice shoot from the ground.

Against another, it might have impaled them instantly, ending their life in a heartbeat. Against her father, the ice spikes were regarded with boredom as he melted right through the ice with a short burst of ultra hot flame.

"Your ice is weak Shoko. In the path you are to go down, power is everything. I guarantee that the ones you will call you peers will rise far above you if you keep limiting yourself", Endeavor said as he stood only a few feet away from his daughter now. "Shoko in th-"

However he was cut off as Shoko suddenly darted forwards and launched an uppercut to Endeavor's liver. Her attempt failed as Endeavor caught the punch and proceeded to fling her away as if she weighed nothing.

"As I was saying, in the future, you will encounter enemies that you will not be able to outsmart, outlast, nor outrun. In order to survive, you will need power, power so absolute that the enemy will have no choice but to bend to your will.", Endeavor lectured, staring at the prone form of his daughter. "How do you think that fool has become the oh so great 'symbol of peace'. He attained that position through his undeniable power".

As Endeavor saw that his daughter would not rise again to face him, he sat down with a sigh. "I have… failed, my daughter. I will shamefully admit that I, Enji Todoroki, have failed to surpass that man and attain the rank of number one. However, in my failure I will ensure that you will rise past me and attain my dream. I will die with no regrets."

"You will die ignorant of the suffering you have caused others, father. You will die alone with only your pride to see you off. And if I'm lucky, you will die soon", Shoko spat hatefully as she still fought to stand past her screaming muscles.

Endeavor remained unspeaking in response to his daughter's scathing words. For a while, the two waited in a tense silence until Endeavor stood, cracking his neck. "You lack conviction in your training. There will come a day when you will realize that the world will not forgive weakness", Endeavor stated as he strode out of the training room.

Shoko grit her teeth as her body still refused to pick itself off the ground. She hated to admit it, but the more her father forcefully imparted his views on her, the more she started to believe it. If only she had more power, mother would never had been hospitalized. If only she had more power, she could show her father how pathetic he was. If only she had more power…

* * *

"You know Midoriya, I might even be able to give you one for all a little early if you keep this up. I created the Aim to Pass American Dream Plan to bring you to exceed what you believed your limits were. However young Midoriya, against all odds, you seem to have surpassed even the highest of bars that I have set for you", All Might praised, as he glanced at Izuku, who was facedown in the beach.

Izuku didn't even try to look up and opted to get a mouthful of sand, "Thanks * _pant_ * All Might * _pant_ *. I guess that means i'll have a little bit of time to practice using one for all before U.A starts?"

"I suppose it does young man, good work", All Might congratulated, hoisting Izuku up by the armpits into a standing position. "Though I must warn you once again young man. To most people, power is great boon one can possess. However, power can also be a great burden. If you're not extremely careful, you can hurt people, hurt people very badly. Furthermore, I have noticed that power attracts people. I have no doubt in my head that you will eventually gain enemies that will hate you if you attain great power." All Might looked to the blue sky.

"There are people out there young Midoriya. People that loath who I am, despise what I stand for. People who cannot be reasoned with and would stop at nothing to crush all that I care about", All Might said darkly.

"All Might I… I don't want people to hate me. Even if they're villains, the thought of somebody hating me as much as you say is… scary", Izuku replied, clenching his fists.

"I know it is Midoriya, believe me, I know. However, many times conflict is inevitable and it takes the ones who have strong minds, not just those with strong powers or bodies, in order to truly triumph", All Might said, pointing at his head. "In my experience, I have found that it's easier to bear with it if you surround yourself with allies you can trust, those who will aid you in your darkest times. Build your fortress of friendly faces Midoriya, gather your courage, and prepare yourself young man, the life of a hero is not an easy one".

"Surround myself with allies", Izuku muttered pensively. Forgetting his exhaustion, he stood straighter as he looked at All Might with a smile. "I'll do it All Might. Even if I become cursed with power, I won't falter. As long as I have people like you by my side, I'll never not be a hero".

All Might chuckled, which soon turned into laughter as he clapped Izuku on the shoulder. "You truly are a great kid Midoriya. No, the best of kids. I have made many decisions in my life young man, many that I come to regret later. However, making you my successor, is probably the best decision I have ever made."

Izuku couldn't help it, tears started to leak from his eyes as he took in All Might's praise. It only worsened when All Might brought Izuku into and embrace only the closest of teacher's and student's could share.

After a minute of crying into All Might's now damp shoulder, Izuku finally managed to pull himself together and separated himself from All Might's embrace. "Thank you All Might, thank you for everything. I'll make you proud, I'll become the greatest hero the world has ever seen. I promise".

All Might grinned bashfully at the naked praise. "I look forward to the day people will look to you, Izuku Midoriya, as not only the best heroes, but the best of men.'' He smiled ruefully at the thought. A retired Toshinori, waking up to a slow morning, watching the news with a cup of coffee and an american breakfast on his plate, listening to another news story about his successor's heroics.

"You're not a hero yet Midoriya! It takes guts and hard work to even take the first step, so I trust you won't slack off on your exercises for today", All Might told Izuku. "As much as I'd like to stay and watch your progress, I must depart and take care of some pre-organized business."

"Of Course All Might. Uhh good luck your… pre-organized business", Izuku said as waved at All Might's now retreating form.

In response, All Might gave a small wave after hopping on his segway which soon took off back towards the city.

As All Might disappeared from Izuku's view, the green haired boy sighed as he stretched out his tired muscles to lessen the cramps that would plague him later. After he was finished the stretches All Might had taught him, Izuku started his trek home in a light jog. The afternoon heat was just setting in and Izuku had homework he needed to work on. He'd do his exercises in the evening when the temperature cooled off.

* * *

It was evening at the Todoroki residence which meant her father was going to be making dinner for himself soon. Shoko couldn't remember the last time she ate a meal with her father, nor did she want to. Her father always cooked for himself and himself only after he hospitalized mother, leaving her and her siblings to fend for themselves. Fuyumi, the eldest sister, had quickly learned to cook for the sake of her younger siblings. Shoko sometimes ate with them, sometimes she didn't. she had learned to cook not long after Fuyumi started cooking for them. It was… difficult not to feel awkward around her siblings, since she 'lived in a different world' as her father oh so lovingly put it.

Letting out a growl, Shoko clenched her fists as the air around her dropped several degrees. Even just thinking about her worthless father had made her want to freeze something. Maybe she had anger issues? Regardless, she couldn't stay here, not in the same house as her father.

She decided to vent her frustration into training as she exited the Todoroki residence in her workout outfit which consisted of plain shorts and a workout jacket.

Settling into a moderate pace, Shoko took off into the evening. Her thoughts wandered as she jogged through the relatively silent evening. She thought of her mother, her siblings, even of her worthless father, as her feet carried her to a park.

However, her thoughts were jarred to a halt when she noticed a mop of green hair that could only belong to one boy, her... friend. What was this, the third day in a row? Shoko was momentarily befuddled by the sheer coincidence of their encounters. Though she soon shook herself out of her stupor as she approached her friend. She was pretty sure friends were supposed to say hello to each other when encountering one another in public.

"What a coincidence Midoriya-san, it seems we meet again", Shoko said, shocking the boy who was seemingly resting from an exercise.

"T-todoroki-san! I didn't even see you", Izuku blurted out, jumping a little. Izuku had to take a moment to calm down. Imagine his surprise when he was resting from his exercises that All Might had assigned him until out of nowhere, his friend shows up and nearly scares the life out of him.

Shoko sat down next to the green haired boy and started twirling a strand of her white hair on her finger. As she noticed her friend was still recovering seemingly from her appearance shocking him, Shoko desperately racked her brain for conversation starters she had searched on the web.

"Its um, a nice morning isn't it", Shoko said with a forced smile. A little bit of hesitation, but the delivery was decent.

"Um... I guess so. I-It's a nice evening is what you meant r-right?" Izuku questioned, scratched the back of his head.

In her mind, Shoko's hand had slammed all the way through her head with how hard she face palmed. She would never trust the internet again. "Y-yes, that is what I meant. My mistake Midoriya-san".

"W-well it certainly is better than the afternoon was, it got really hot then", Izuku replied in an attempt to keep the conversation rolling.

Shoko took a deep breath. "You're quite right Midoriya-san. The evening temperature is a lot more bearable, especially if you are exercising."

"I-isn't it? Though, I could do without the mosquitoes that sometimes come out", Izuku said, swatting a lone mosquito that had landed on her arm.

Shoko let out a chuckle as Izuku failed to kill a mosquito which resulted in him harshly slapping his own face. "Anyways, how is your training for U.A going?"

"It's going really well actually. I'm working with a uh trainer who is helping me out. He said that I exceeded his expectations which is really cool", Izuku started with a smile. "H-how about you?"

Shoko sighed as she shook her head. "I've actually found myself lacking recently. I'm just not… powerful enough for my umm trainer evidently." She couldn't tell Midoriya about her family. At least, not entirely… yet. She didn't want to scare away her only friend.

"You were admitted to U.A on recommendation right? I'm sure you're plenty strong, I guess your trainer just has crazy standards", Izuku said, trying to cheer his friend up.

"Maybe", Shoko replied as looked at the now dark sky. It seemed the evening transitioning into night had slipped both their notices as they talked. "Sorry to cut this short Midoriya, but I should probably head home soon. It's getting a bit late."

"O-oh, yeah, I was thinking just the same thing. I-I think I'll head back now", Izuku stuttered as he stood up.

"Anyways, see you. I enjoyed talking", Shoko said with a small wave as she moved away from the green haired boy. Soon, she started jogging once more towards her house. However, the jog slowly turned into a run as she realized how hungry she was, she had yet to cook dinner.

Her thoughts once more wandered. However this time, they were not plagued by her father's tyranny.


End file.
